He requested a $100-per-student increase in the athletics fee, which would generate approximately $1.2 million in additional money next school year if approved in February by the UNC Board of Governors. He told the UNCW board that athletes' needs weren't being met and the entire department was underfunded.

"I'm committed to a strong Division I program," said Miller, who was hired in May 2011. "I have said since I've been here that we need to invest in it – all of us do."

While the chancellor wasn't talking directly to the Seahawk Club, his comments could have been directed its way. Since reaching peaks in membership (1,850 members) and funds ($1.8 million) in the middle of the last decade, the UNCW athletic fundraising arm has fallen well shy of its goals in recent years.

A shaky economy, a struggling flagship program of men's basketball, the removal of out-of-state tuition waivers and inadequate leadership in the club's executive director position all contributed to the recent shortcomings and stagnant growth.

"My job is to provide a vision that this program is about more than men's basketball," athletic director Jimmy Bass said.

He and Seahawk Club president Don Fallis are optimistic that better days lie ahead. A new position of major gifts officer is expected to be filled within the week. The search starts soon to find an executive director to replace Patrick Ransdell, who was hired by Bass in February 2011 but fired last month.

Bass hopes to fill that position in three months. He believes there are plenty of attributes to sell to prospective donors.

"The university's growing, we have a dynamic visionary chancellor," Bass said. "The Board of Trustees is supporting this program on a lot of different levels. The strategic plan is well-grounded with goals we can achieve. I don't think it's unrealistic to ask people to step up in and support this program."

Coming up short

The athletic department released its strategic plan in May 2011. The first objective in the 27-page document addresses specific goals for the Seahawk Club, in terms of both membership and dollars.

Those marks include: to raise $7 million over the five-year span from that date; grow the club's membership 50 percent by 2013; have 2,000 Seahawk Club members by 2015; fill scholarship limits on eight traditionally underfunded sports – men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, baseball and softball; raise $10 million over five years to finance upgrades to facilities.

Reaching those goals will take a significant boost. UNCW reported $4.854 million in contributions in the most recent five-year period, 2007-2011.

The Seahawk Club currently has fewer than 800 active members. It has raised $741,000 in cash thus far during the 2012-13 school year, roughly half of the $1.5 million it's expected to transfer to the university in June to help pay a scholarship bill that totaled $2.4 million in 2011-12.

As of Jan. 24, UNCW has 242 athletes on scholarship in 19 sports. Many are on partial scholarships. A full in-state scholarship costs $16,000 and an out-of-state scholarship costs $28,000.

Yet the approximately 107 scholarships granted to university athletes is only two-thirds of the maximum allowed by the NCAA. Men's and women's basketball are the only sports that are fully funded at UNCW. Other sports remain underfunded.

For example, the NCAA allows a women's soccer program 14 scholarships. UNCW coach Paul Cairney survives with 9.9. Men's soccer has roughly two-thirds of its 9.9 allotment. The baseball program reached five NCAA tournaments in the past 10 years under coach Mark Scalf despite playing on a diamond tilted against them. UNCW awarded 10.45 of the 11.7 scholarships allowed this year, per information provided by the university's athletic communications department.

"I feel pressure every day to our student-athletes and our coaches," Bass said. "If we deliver and provide the support structure, the rest of it will come. Provide coaches with more scholarship resources, they can attract student athletes who are stronger athletically, academically and who will enrich the community. It's a win-win situation."

UNCW enjoys a strong group of coaches. Players help coaches win games. Scholarship dollars attract players – and their parents.

Fixed connections

Fallis, an area businessman, became involved with the Seahawk Club when his son served as a manager on the men's basketball team under former coach Jerry Wainwright. He's been on the board of directors since 2003 and currently serves as president in what amounts to a volunteer position.

He said the Seahawk Club's goals are simple: to raise membership and money, fully funding scholarships in each sport.

"You have to sell it on scholarships," Fallis said. "The student-athletes are still playing in all 19 sports; whether they are winning or losing, scholarships still have to be funded. They have to be funded whether the economy is up or down."

Bass said the university expects competitive programs that graduate players. And the community expects a well-rounded athletic program that extends beyond men's basketball.

But there's no doubting that men's basketball program drives the train at UNCW. Trying to sell success as the Seahawks struggle on the court yet again presents a stiff challenge.

"We've got to continue to repair bridges in the Wilmington community," Bass said. "We have lots of people who are inactive members who need to get back on board and give to scholarships. And hopefully, eventually buy season tickets – baseball and basketball. We've got to create donor recognition programs and stewardship to help people feel close to athletics."

Bass and Fallis agree there's been a disconnect between donors and Seahawk Club staff in the past. Both feel customer service has improved as new employees have been hired.

Lots of options

Data released in August by the Seahawk Club shows many untapped markets. For example, of the 13,254 UNCW alumni who live in New Hanover County, only 499 are Seahawk Club members.

Bass said the new executive director and entire staff must "pound the ground" in the Wilmington area, make contacts and set up meetings, spending most of their time outside the office developing relationships.

That hasn't been the case in recent years.

"Our Seahawk Club staff has got to be out every day, knocking on doors, calling on people. They've got to use the athletic director, the chancellor," Bass said. "Our head coaching group is willing to go visit, they're willing to make phone calls, they're willing to write notes for us and we've got to engage our coaches on a higher level. They're the best salesmen for our programs that we have, other than our student-athletes."

The Seahawk Club aims to expand its membership outside the Cape Fear region and into metropolitan North Carolina regions where only a scant percentage of alumni are active.

In Raleigh/Wake County, only 14 of the 5,611 UNCW alumni are members. In Charlotte/Mecklenburg County only 6 of the 2,296 alumni are members. To help boost these numbers, Bass plans a "Seahawk Caravan" in April, where he, the new executive director, men's basketball coach Buzz Peterson and others will travel to Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte to meet and greet potential donors.

The new executive director might have other responsibilities, but Bass was adamant that fundraising will be the primary focus.

"That person has to just be out in the public and out calling on people nonstop," Fallis said. "Some people's personalities are more in that favor than others. I think that experience in fundraising is what we need from the next guy. Somebody who has proven themselves. Somebody that will just hit the pavement hard."

Fallis, like many who support the UNCW program, is not an alumnus. An Atlanta native, he graduated from the University of Georgia. However, he feels drawing memberships from those with similar backgrounds is imperative.

"We have to go after people who've never attended UNCW. We have a good market of people here who are college graduates. Some may support their college and university and some may not," he said. "Our obligation is to sell the local university, whether they are businessmen or retirees."

The UNCW chancellor, Miller, continues to show his desire for a vibrant athletic department with elevated expectations.

On Friday, he told the Board of Trustees: "I am strongly committed to the athletic program, and have engaged the friends of the university to organize a stronger structure for fundraising. We hosted a large group of people from Landfall where we reviewed our strategic vision in athletics. It was a very constructive conversation."

Turning those words into dollars could push the athletic programs at UNCW toward unprecedented good fortune.

<p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> Chancellor Gary Miller told the university's Board of Trustees last month that its athletic department had been neglected for a decade.</p><p>He requested a $100-per-student increase in the athletics fee, which would generate approximately $1.2 million in additional money next school year if approved in February by the UNC Board of Governors. He told the UNCW board that athletes' needs weren't being met and the entire department was underfunded.</p><p>"I'm committed to a strong Division I program," said Miller, who was hired in May 2011. "I have said since I've been here that we need to invest in it – all of us do."</p><p>While the chancellor wasn't talking directly to the Seahawk Club, his comments could have been directed its way. Since reaching peaks in membership (1,850 members) and funds ($1.8 million) in the middle of the last decade, the UNCW athletic fundraising arm has fallen well shy of its goals in recent years.</p><p>A shaky economy, a struggling flagship program of men's basketball, the removal of out-of-state tuition waivers and inadequate leadership in the club's executive director position all contributed to the recent shortcomings and stagnant growth.</p><p>"My job is to provide a vision that this program is about more than men's basketball," athletic director Jimmy Bass said.</p><p>He and Seahawk Club president Don Fallis are optimistic that better days lie ahead. A new position of major gifts officer is expected to be filled within the week. The search starts soon to find an executive director to replace Patrick Ransdell, who was hired by Bass in February 2011 but fired last month.</p><p>Bass hopes to fill that position in three months. He believes there are plenty of attributes to sell to prospective donors.</p><p>"The university's growing, we have a dynamic visionary chancellor," Bass said. "The Board of Trustees is supporting this program on a lot of different levels. The strategic plan is well-grounded with goals we can achieve. I don't think it's unrealistic to ask people to step up in and support this program."</p><h3>Coming up short</h3>
<p>The athletic department released its strategic plan in May 2011. The first objective in the 27-page document addresses specific goals for the Seahawk Club, in terms of both membership and dollars. </p><p>Those marks include: to raise $7 million over the five-year span from that date; grow the club's membership 50 percent by 2013; have 2,000 Seahawk Club members by 2015; fill scholarship limits on eight traditionally underfunded sports – men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, baseball and softball; raise $10 million over five years to finance upgrades to facilities.</p><p>Reaching those goals will take a significant boost. <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> reported $4.854 million in contributions in the most recent five-year period, 2007-2011.</p><p>The Seahawk Club currently has fewer than 800 active members. It has raised $741,000 in cash thus far during the 2012-13 school year, roughly half of the $1.5 million it's expected to transfer to the university in June to help pay a scholarship bill that totaled $2.4 million in 2011-12. </p><p>As of Jan. 24, UNCW has 242 athletes on scholarship in 19 sports. Many are on partial scholarships. A full in-state scholarship costs $16,000 and an out-of-state scholarship costs $28,000.</p><p>Yet the approximately 107 scholarships granted to university athletes is only two-thirds of the maximum allowed by the NCAA. Men's and women's basketball are the only sports that are fully funded at UNCW. Other sports remain underfunded.</p><p>For example, the NCAA allows a women's soccer program 14 scholarships. UNCW coach Paul Cairney survives with 9.9. Men's soccer has roughly two-thirds of its 9.9 allotment. The baseball program reached five NCAA tournaments in the past 10 years under coach Mark Scalf despite playing on a diamond tilted against them. UNCW awarded 10.45 of the 11.7 scholarships allowed this year, per information provided by the university's athletic communications department.</p><p>"I feel pressure every day to our student-athletes and our coaches," Bass said. "If we deliver and provide the support structure, the rest of it will come. Provide coaches with more scholarship resources, they can attract student athletes who are stronger athletically, academically and who will enrich the community. It's a win-win situation."</p><p>UNCW enjoys a strong group of coaches. Players help coaches win games. Scholarship dollars attract players – and their parents.</p><h3>Fixed connections</h3>
<p>Fallis, an area businessman, became involved with the Seahawk Club when his son served as a manager on the men's basketball team under former coach Jerry Wainwright. He's been on the board of directors since 2003 and currently serves as president in what amounts to a volunteer position.</p><p>He said the Seahawk Club's goals are simple: to raise membership and money, fully funding scholarships in each sport.</p><p>"You have to sell it on scholarships," Fallis said. "The student-athletes are still playing in all 19 sports; whether they are winning or losing, scholarships still have to be funded. They have to be funded whether the economy is up or down."</p><p>Bass said the university expects competitive programs that graduate players. And the community expects a well-rounded athletic program that extends beyond men's basketball. </p><p>But there's no doubting that men's basketball program drives the train at <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a>. Trying to sell success as the Seahawks struggle on the court yet again presents a stiff challenge.</p><p>"We've got to continue to repair bridges in the Wilmington community," Bass said. "We have lots of people who are inactive members who need to get back on board and give to scholarships. And hopefully, eventually buy season tickets – baseball and basketball. We've got to create donor recognition programs and stewardship to help people feel close to athletics."</p><p>Bass and Fallis agree there's been a disconnect between donors and Seahawk Club staff in the past. Both feel customer service has improved as new employees have been hired.</p><p>"We've got to do a better job of thanking people," Bass said.</p><h3>Lots of options</h3>
<p>So where does <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> turn to find members and money?</p><p>Data released in August by the Seahawk Club shows many untapped markets. For example, of the 13,254 UNCW alumni who live in New Hanover County, only 499 are Seahawk Club members.</p><p>Bass said the new executive director and entire staff must "pound the ground" in the Wilmington area, make contacts and set up meetings, spending most of their time outside the office developing relationships.</p><p>That hasn't been the case in recent years.</p><p>"Our Seahawk Club staff has got to be out every day, knocking on doors, calling on people. They've got to use the athletic director, the chancellor," Bass said. "Our head coaching group is willing to go visit, they're willing to make phone calls, they're willing to write notes for us and we've got to engage our coaches on a higher level. They're the best salesmen for our programs that we have, other than our student-athletes."</p><p>The Seahawk Club aims to expand its membership outside the Cape Fear region and into metropolitan North Carolina regions where only a scant percentage of alumni are active.</p><p>In Raleigh/Wake County, only 14 of the 5,611 UNCW alumni are members. In Charlotte/Mecklenburg County only 6 of the 2,296 alumni are members. To help boost these numbers, Bass plans a "Seahawk Caravan" in April, where he, the new executive director, men's basketball coach <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9942"><b>Buzz Peterson</b></a> and others will travel to Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte to meet and greet potential donors.</p><p>The new executive director might have other responsibilities, but Bass was adamant that fundraising will be the primary focus.</p><p>"That person has to just be out in the public and out calling on people nonstop," Fallis said. "Some people's personalities are more in that favor than others. I think that experience in fundraising is what we need from the next guy. Somebody who has proven themselves. Somebody that will just hit the pavement hard."</p><p>Fallis, like many who support the UNCW program, is not an alumnus. An Atlanta native, he graduated from the University of Georgia. However, he feels drawing memberships from those with similar backgrounds is imperative.</p><p>"We have to go after people who've never attended UNCW. We have a good market of people here who are college graduates. Some may support their college and university and some may not," he said. "Our obligation is to sell the local university, whether they are businessmen or retirees."</p><p>The UNCW chancellor, Miller, continues to show his desire for a vibrant athletic department with elevated expectations.</p><p>On Friday, he told the Board of Trustees: "I am strongly committed to the athletic program, and have engaged the friends of the university to organize a stronger structure for fundraising. We hosted a large group of people from Landfall where we reviewed our strategic vision in athletics. It was a very constructive conversation."</p><p>Turning those words into dollars could push the athletic programs at UNCW toward unprecedented good fortune.</p><p><i><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic94"><b>Brian Mull</b></a>: 343-2034</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @BGMull</i></p>